Councillor Jay Laplain praised for community-focused year as Mayor of Brentwood

Councillor Jay Laplain bowed out as Mayor of Brentwood with tributes at the Annual Council meeting on Wednesday, after a year in which he put community service, local pride and charitable giving at the heart of the Borough’s civic life.

Cllr Laplain, who represented Warley and served as Mayor for 2025/26, used his year of office to champion the people and organisations that make Brentwood tick. As Mayor, he presided over Brentwood’s 2026 Civic Awards, celebrating residents whose dedication has made a lasting difference.

The winners were Breda Bower, recognised with the Lifetime Achievement Award for more than 30 years of service through Scouting, Brentwood Cathedral, food bank collections and support for migrant communities; Helen Kingsford, who received a Service to the Community Award for more than 16 years’ work with Saint Francis Hospice; and Leanne Turner, founder and CEO of Aching Arms, honoured for building a Brentwood-based baby-loss charity into a national source of comfort for families and hospitals From civic ceremonies and community celebrations to visits to the voluntary sector and fundraising events, Mayor Jay made the mayoralty a visible, welcoming presence across the Borough, culminating in a memorable end-of-term party at King George’s Playing Fields, at which he (briefly) regaled the audience in song.

His term was marked by a focus on inclusion and wellbeing, reflected in his choice of two mayoral charities: Recoil Trampoline Club, which supports young people of all abilities to build confidence through sport, and Wilderness Foundation UK, whose nature-based programmes help people strengthen resilience and mental health. Both charities received grants of £3,400 to support their work.

Cllr Laplain’s year also celebrated Brentwood’s heritage and community spirit. He supported major borough events, including the Strawberry Fair, which drew more than 10,000 visitors and marked the 80th anniversary of VE Day, and he represented the town at Remembrance Day, civic, and festive occasions, as well as awarding the Freedom of the Borough to Barry Hearn OBE and Fatima Whitbread MBE. He and Lady Mayoress Vanessa Laplain were regular faces at local events, giving encouragement to volunteers, clubs, faith groups, schools and charities, including both Brentwood’s Town Twinning Associations. First elected as a Warley councillor in 2019, Cllr Laplain brought to the mayoralty a long association with Brentwood and was successfully re-elected as a Councillor in May.

He moved to the Borough with his wife nearly two decades ago, after joining BT, where he has worked for more than 25 years. He succeeded Warley colleague, Councillor Mark Haigh, as Mayor, having served as Deputy, the first time two ward councillors from the same party have succeeded each other in the Council’s history.

Councillors thanked Cllr Laplain for carrying out the duties of the first citizen with dignity and warmth, with warm tributes being paid by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Barry Aspinell, and other party leaders. He is succeeded in the Mayoralty by Councillor Nicky Cuthbert, of Shenfield.